Students still show pride in Penn State

Despite a rough week at State College, Saturday's game was something to be proud of.

STATE COLLEGE -- Many Penn State students struggled while hoping to find relief from a tumultuous week.

A week that began with a child abuse scandal involving former Nittany Lion defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, followed by their coach of 46 years, Joe Paterno, resigning -- then being relieved of his duties late Wednesday night.

Some isolated minor violence protesting Paterno's departure followed, which led to dealing with hoards of national media descending upon State College.

It was a crazy week, one Penn State interim head coach Tom Bradley called, "A week unprecedented in college football history."

It also appeared to be something few students in and around Beaver Stadium were prepared to deal with.

The excitement of a football game helped somewhat. But several students declined to be interviewed. Simply wanting the nightmare to go away.

"We aren't talking," a group of coeds said while standing outside the student section before the game. A group of males said something much harsher when approached.

Once in their seats the students cheered loudly for their team when it arrived on the field. Many wept during an emotional pregame scene when the Nebraska players joined the Nittany Lions at midfield for prayer and meditation in honor of child abuse victims.

The mood around the entire Beaver Stadium, filled with 107,903 people, was different. But for those that on campus, it was even worse.

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The hard-fought 17-14 loss to Nebraska was a tough one, but may not have been as hard to take because of all they went through.

Penn State students Shelby Lewis and Doug Rohrbaugh, both from Baltimore suburbs, expressed their concerns when asked for an interview.

In the end, their pride in Lewis' boyfriend and Rohrbaugh's brother -- Penn State kick snapper Jon Rohrbaugh -- helped them open up despite their trepidation.

"I am so proud of him. He seemed to stay pretty focused the whole week," the sophomore Doug Rohrbaugh said about his brother, who celebrated his senior day under trying circumstances.

While Lewis said she spoke with her boyfriend often this week, she didn't want to talk about his feelings. She was pleased with how focused he seemed to be and the gleam in her eyes as the players were leaving the field couldn't hide her feelings.

"It's a great day to a Penn State fan, no matter the outcome," she said. "I am so proud to be a Penn Stater. It means the world to me and I am glad we could make everyone proud, too."

A few feet away stood York Township resident Charlie Moore, who happened to be the Rohrbaugh's grandfather.

Watching his grandson, a former walk-on with only one eye, play on senior day was something he will never forget.

"I can't sum it up. When he came out of the tunnel it was just unbelievable, I can't describe it," Moore said. "It was a dream come true for a grandfather."

Attending Penn State is a family tradition, one being carried on by Jon and Doug Rohrbaugh. Moore's father, son and now grandsons are all Penn Staters.

"I have been coming to games since 1947," Moore said. "I came with my father, I came with my children. I brought my grandchildren. Now, we are third generation. If my father would be alive, he would be so happy and proud."

Doug Rohrbaugh also expressed the mood of many students by wearing one of the many blue T-shirts that read, "Stop Child Abuse. Blue Out Nebraska."

Like many people at the stadium, he was caught off guard when the teams gathered before the game.

"With the whole situation going on, we had to let people know that we do care," Doug Rohrbaugh said. "It was cool to see Nebraska do that."

Moore was not surprised at the Cornhuskers display before the game.

"I had a feeling they were going to do something like that. Nebraska is a first class team," he said.

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